Naming a Baby

A name defines a person's essence. Choose carefully.

The naming of a Jewish child is a most profound spiritual moment. The Sages say that naming a baby is a statement of her character, her specialness, and her path in life. For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a "good name" is all we take with us. (see Talmud – Brachot 7b; Arizal – Sha'ar HaGilgulim 24b)

Further, the Talmud tells us that parents receive one-sixtieth of prophecy when picking a name. An angel comes to the parents and whispers the Jewish name that the new baby will embody.

Yet this still doesn't seem to help parents from agonizing over which name to pick!

So how do we choose a name? And why is the father's name traditionally not given to a son – e.g. Jacob Cohen Jr., Isaac Levy III? Can a boy be named after a female relative? Can the name be announced before the Bris?

Jewish Customs

Naming a Jewish baby is not only a statement of what we hope she will be, but also where she comes from.

Ashkenazi Jews have the custom of naming a child after a relative who has passed away. This keeps the name and memory alive, and in a metaphysical way forms a bond between the soul of the baby and the deceased relative. This is a great honor to the deceased, because its soul can achieve an elevation based on the good deeds of the namesake. The child, meanwhile, can be inspired by the good qualities of the deceased – and make a deep connection to the past. (Noam Elimelech - Bamidbar)

The name forms a metaphysical bond between the baby and the deceased relative

What if you would like to use the name of a relative who passed away, but another living relative has the same name? In that case, if the living relative is closely related to the baby – parent, grandparent, or sibling – then you should not use the name. Otherwise, it's okay.

Sephardi Jews also name children after relatives who are still alive. This source is from the Talmud, which records a child named after Rabbi Natan while he was still alive (Shabbat 134a).

Some customarily choose a name based on the Jewish holiday coinciding with the birth. For example, a baby born at Purim-time might be named Esther or Mordechai. A girl born on Shavuot might be named Ruth, and a child born on Tisha B'Av, the Jewish day of mourning, might be named Menachem or Nechamah.

Similarly, names are sometimes chosen from the Torah portion corresponding to the week of the birth. Many names and events are mentioned in each Torah portion, offering a spiritual connection between the baby and that particular biblical figure.

Inner Meaning

In Hebrew, a name is not merely a convenient conglomeration of letters. Rather the name reveals its essential characteristic. The Midrash (Genesis Raba 17:4) tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence of every creature and named it accordingly. The donkey, for example, is characterized by carrying heavy, physical burdens. So in Hebrew, the donkey is named chamor – from the same root as chomer, which means materialism. (Contrast this with English, where the word "donkey" doesn't reveal much about the essence of a donkey!)

The same idea applies to names of people. For example, Leah named her fourth son Judah (in Hebrew, Yehudah). This comes from the same root as the word "thanks." The letters can also be rearranged to spell out the holy Name of God. The significance is that Leah wanted to particularly express her "thanks to God." (Genesis 29:35)

Choose a name that will have a positive effect, since the person is constantly reminded of its meaning.

It is important to choose a name that will have a positive effect, since every time it is used the person is reminded of its meaning (Midrash Tanchuma – Ha'Azinu 7). The person who is called Judah is constantly reminded of how much gratitude we should have toward God!

Esther, the hero of the Purim story, is a name which comes from the word "hidden." Esther was known to be a very beautiful woman (she was chosen to be queen), but whatever her external appearances, her hidden internal qualities were even more beautiful.

Another example is the popular name "Ari," Hebrew for lion. In Jewish literature, the lion is a symbol of a go-getter, someone who sees the opportunity to do a mitzvah, and pounces on it. (see Code of Jewish Law O.C. 1)

Of course, there are bad names, too. You won't want to choose the name "Nimrod," since the very name means "rebellion." And in biblical times, the ruler Nimrod threw Abraham into a fiery furnace as an act of rebellion against God.

If you want to name a male after a female, you should try to keep as many of the letters of the name as possible. For example, Dina could be interchangeable with Dan, or Bracha and Baruch.

More Guidelines

It's a good idea to give a child a Hebrew name that can be used in English also – e.g. Miriam, David, Sarah, Noah, Rachel. This way, your child not only has a Hebrew name, but he'll use it, too! This can be an important hedge against assimilation; the Midrash (Bamidbar Raba 20:21) says that the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt partly in the merit of having kept their Jewish names. As a child, I had one uncle who always called me by my Jewish name ("Shraga" means candle), a constant reminder to maintain my Jewish identity.

The Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt partly in the merit of having kept their Jewish names.

There is hesitancy to use the name of a person who died at a young age, or suffered an unnatural death. The reluctance stems from the fear that the misfortune may, in a spiritual manner, be carried over to the new bearer of the name. Although "dying young" is a relative term, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein offers some guidelines:

If a person died a natural death and left children, this is not considered "bad fortune" which would preclude the use of the name. Both the prophet Samuel and King Solomon died at the "young" age of 52, yet traditionally their names have always been used by Jews. If, however, a person died an unnatural death, then Rabbi Feinstein suggests that the name be altered. It may be for this reason that when naming after the prophet Isaiah – who was murdered – many Jews omit the last letter of his name (in Hebrew, Yeshaya instead of Yeshiyahu). (Yam Shel Shlomo – Gittin 4:30)

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky considered the age of 60 the demarcation between young and old. The Talmud (Moed Katan 28a) relates that Rabbi Yosef made a party when he reached 60, celebrating the beginning of longevity.

Contrary to popular perception, it is not forbidden to announce the name of a baby before his Bris. In a metaphysical sense, however, the child does not actually "receive" his name until the Bris. This is based on the fact that God changed Abraham's name in conjunction with his Bris – at age 99 (Genesis 17:15). Also, the boy only receives the full measure of his soul at the Bris, and a person cannot truly be "named" until attaining that completion. (see Zohar – Lech Lecha 93a, Ta'amei Minhagim 929)

King David wrote in Psalms (147:4): "He counts the numbers of the stars; He gives a name to each of them." Since the beginning of time, the stars have captured mankind's imagination. They hold the secrets of creation, and of the future. They are a road map to the navigator, a challenge to the astronomer, and a symbol of quest to the explorer.

Those sparkling lights in the vast darkness seem so small, yet we know they are not. Their numbers reach infinity, but all are special to God, and "He gives each a name." Each has its unique purpose, and no two are exactly the same.

The Torah often compares the Jewish people to the stars (Genesis 15:5). For just as the stars eliminate the darkness of night, so the Jewish people enlighten the darkness of the world with the truth of Torah. Just as stars guide travelers along their way, the Jewish people give moral and ethical direction to mankind. As the stars hold of the secrets of the future, world history revolves around the Jewish people, leading inexorably to the final redemption.

Just as massive stars appear tiny, so the Jewish people seem insignificant in comparison to a world population of billions. Yet there exists an underlying understanding of the contributing force and massive potential of the Jewish people.

Every Jew has his unique function. Every Jew shines a different light.

God gives names to each star, for they are dear to Him, and likewise He takes part in naming every Jew. Like the stars, no two Jewish souls are exactly alike. Every Jew has his unique function and special mitzvah in which he excels. Every Jew shines a different light.

In the days of redemption, the love of God for His children will be ever so clear. As we read in the haftarah every year after Tisha B'Av: "Lift your eyes on high and behold Who has created these things [the stars], that bring out their host by number. He calls them all by names; because of the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26).

At the final redemption, every Jew will return to Jerusalem – "not one will be missing." Each one will again be counted, and to each one God will give a name.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rabbi Shraga Simmons grew up trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York, enjoying summers as a tour guide at Niagara Falls. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He is the co-founder of Aish.com, and founder of the Torah study site, JewishPathways.com. He is also the co-founder of HonestReporting.com, and author of "David & Goliath", the definitive treatment of media bias against Israel (2012). He lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 30

(22)
Mike,
February 21, 2016 4:44 AM

Orion?

Do you think Orion is an appropriate name for a Jewish baby boy?

(21)
Jacob,
January 19, 2016 3:37 AM

Thanks for the insight

I'm just starting the conversion process so I'm glad to have any resources I can get, and finding a name is important. I love the name Jacob and I'm going to use it as my Jewish name from now on. I haven't had my bris yet, but this week at my first Torah study and temple service I will still begin to introduce myself as Jacob. I can't imagine how great it will feel to be called by my new name Jacob for the first time!

(20)
Anonymous,
July 5, 2015 2:50 PM

Feminine version of menachem.

I have seen some names that could be used but most seem hard to pronounce. Nechama, nechamit, Nehama, Nechamiya etc. are there any other versions I have missed?

(19)
Jeremy,
November 11, 2014 2:34 PM

Naming after the 6,000,000

My wife and I are expecting a little girl in a month. We have a first name but were thinking about the middle name being after the Holocaust victims. Is there a name that encapsulates this?

Miriam,
January 15, 2015 7:28 PM

In respone to your question

what about Tikva or Hatikvah which means Hope or The Hope. Just a suggestion.

(18)
Anonymous,
September 19, 2014 5:14 PM

EXCELLENT!

This is EXCELLENT! Thank you so much for posting it :)

(17)
Bonita Dale,
January 22, 2014 2:01 AM

Hebrew translation

My name "Bonita" is Spanish and I have never found any Spanish in my genealogy. Since I have fallen in love with the Holy Language, Eretz Yisreal and her people I would love to know the translation of my name in Hebrew. I hope to visit someday very soon.

Anonymous,
April 7, 2014 9:57 PM

Hebrew name for Bonita

In Hebrew your name is "Yaffa". It could also be "Nava".

(16)
Bernice,
May 9, 2013 7:00 PM

Need Help

I would like to know the meaning of the name Bernice, which is my name and also one of my daughters? My mother loved the name, because it was different from all others, and the nurse who was at my delivery was named Bernice. I know it is a Hebrew name. Please help? I never really liked it, because it wasn't a popular name. Thank You very much..

Ra'anan,
July 7, 2013 6:42 PM

Bernice=Berakha?

Bernice=Berakha?

Lew,
November 27, 2013 4:56 AM

Nice name...

How can you not like a name like Bernice. It's a beautiful name and a darned sight better that a lot of names parents call after their children in supermarkets. (Would you believe some of them?) If you never really like it because it wasn't popular then you are a privileged one to have that name. I love it so don't be sullen about it. it's really nice.Regards,Lew.

(15)
Anonymous,
May 7, 2013 8:13 AM

Hebrew version of Yiddish girls names

I would like to know the meaning of the Yiddish name Pesha and what the hebrew version would be.

Thank you

Anonymous,
October 18, 2013 4:34 AM

pesha

I believe that the Hebrew version of Pesha is Batya, which means "daughter of G-d."

(14)
Anonymous,
October 3, 2012 11:40 AM

Yiddish names pose vital questions

So many "Yiddish" (seemingly non-Bibblical) names create a dilemma when searching for the Hebrew source of the name. Examples: is Sosha from Shoshana or Sosya; what connection can we suggest for Yente, Shprintza, Serke, etc. These names and others like them were given in memory of righteous forebears. These are names given by Jews who lived in Poland. Certainly examples can also come from Jews who lived in other countries. What are the Halachas regarding correctly identifying the Hebrew equivalent of these and other Yiddish names? Thanks.

Sarah Rivka :),
May 15, 2014 6:13 AM

Shprintza

I think Shprintza means hope (as does the Spanish name Esperanza). The Hebrew for that would be Tikva.

(13)
Iris B,
June 28, 2011 6:39 PM

Pick a name that makes you feel good.

When our second son was born, there was no relatives we "had" to name him for. We picked English names we liked, but in Hebrew we named him Chaim Yosef, because we 'added one life". Close enough in translation.
When our 3rd son was born, my mother wanted us to name him for her father. I never liked my grandfather, he was a cold, uncaring man. Instead, we named him in Hebrew for my 2 grandmothers. Later we found out from my father-in-law, that the name we chose Yehuda Rafool, was his father's name.
We were happy with out choice.

(12)
Ruth Housman,
June 28, 2011 4:14 PM

Donkeys!

I found this piece very interesting and also deep because I am so about names and naming. I see that we are all of us actualizing the potentials of the letters and do perceive that Adam's naming of the animals is very important as having place Biblically in story.
As to English I will categorically state You are Wrong. My life took a profound turn a long time ago, and whether I am heard or not, I do know this, and that is, what I wrote about the letters, and this means all letters, moving across Babel, in every possible way. That ancient Kabbalist wheel of letters is significant in terms of what I am saying.
As to Donkey, like Monkey, there is the English word KEY as part of the word. And I say this is NOT random, as I split words, or to be more precise, they do deconstruct for me, and as for Monkey, you might remember that droll movie about the Natural History Museum and how it was the monkey who stole the keys. Maybe this guerilla or should I say "Gorilla" warfare about evolution should stop. I am seeing a language based story that only could have been written by a Divine hand.
Can you Handel this? Remember, Handel wrote the Messiah.

(11)
Elana,
June 28, 2011 3:39 PM

Wow; this was such an informative article! It is funny about the naming part comes from the angel or Hashem. Is what happened with all three of my boys; I waited until the very end of pregnancy (couldn't decide on a name) and wanted 2 names. They were not named for any relatives, but biblical characters; did not have a clue as to the second name and right before their bris, it just came to me. Like a lightbulb going off; meaning it was sudden.

(10)
Rachel,
February 8, 2011 8:05 PM

Looking for the source

You write "the Talmud tells us that parents receive one-sixtieth of prophecy when picking a name. An angel comes to the parents and whispers the Jewish name that the new baby will embody."
I looked in Berachot 7b and couldn't find the source there. Neither did I find the exact source in Sha'ar Hagilgulim that is mentioned there (no mistake of yours!)
I would appreciate it if you could please send me the exact Hebrew terms used there for an essay I am writing.
Thanks

(9)
Anonymous,
November 23, 2010 7:40 PM

I had always thought that the Yiddish name "Shosha" was a derivative of the Hebrew name "Shoshana," but I have been hearing lately that it's actually from the name "Sosya." I've searched several places and I can't seem to find the name "Sosya" or any information about it. Any ideas?

(8)
Anonymous,
August 3, 2010 3:15 PM

Is there a Jewish equivalent for the names "Thomas" and "Anthony?"

Thank you for providing this resource.

Anonymous,
July 7, 2013 6:47 PM

"Thomas" comes from the word...

"twin," & that's Te-oma in Hebrew, but I don't think it has any significance in Hebrew/Aramaic. "Anthony" comes from "flower" & in Hebrew that's "Perach," but it's not an appropriate name. I have a Moroccan student w/the family name "Yifrach," but I've not heard someone w/their first name as such.

(7)
Anonymous,
May 30, 2010 6:48 PM

Naming after the opposite gender

I learned that one should not name a girl after a boy. It brings a "male" Neshama into a female and vs. versa. Also one should take a boys name and turn it into a girls name i.e. Ariel becoming Ariella even if it is commonly done since the original name is a boys name

(6)
Danielle Thomas,
January 30, 2004 12:00 AM

My wife and I were thinking of naming our child as per the aforementioned name. I do believe that Danielle is the feminine version of Daniel.
thank you for your assistance.

(5)
shira,
July 6, 2002 12:00 AM

this is beautiful

this passage is so beautiful and inspiring. a persons name really does reflect the path in life. i would just like to ask if it would be possible to also mention more sepharadic minhagim. thank you. :)

(4)
Anonymous,
June 22, 2002 12:00 AM

how about a list of names

where would we find a good list of names (boys and girls)? we have a baby on the way b'ezras Hashem and being busy and having no immediate chiyuv we could use some ideas that may give us inspiration. Thanks

(3)
Anonymous,
June 22, 2002 12:00 AM

Everything is in a name.

When my parents named me, I am sure they had no idea what the result of their action would be. They named me Rebekah Ruth nine years after they became Christian.

It is now 32 3/4 years later. "Rebekah" has studied Judaisim and Torah for 16 years and "Ruth" will see the family line returned to the house of Israel. --The Matriarch & the Ger--not such a bad combination!

(2)
Juditt Wallace,
June 20, 2002 12:00 AM

Our Baby died 4 hours after he was named

Thank you with great appreciation for
this article. Our baby, Moshe bar Binyamin v'Yehudit Keren, was born June 5, 2002, and sadly died 26 hours later. Our rabbi came to name him at the NICU while his life waned on life support. l know that indeed Moshe never received the "full measure" of his soul because l believe that Hashem kept our baby's soul close, to lessen the suffering our newborn felt during the short time with us. Shalom.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!